Organized by the Centre for Audiovisual Arts of the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, a guest masterclass by Josh Staub was held under the title An Animated Life: My Career at Disney and Beyond.
The masterclass took place on two dates: on 26 May 2026 in Zagreb and on 27 May 2026 in Čakovec.
Josh Staub is a film director, art director and visual effects supervisor with extensive international experience at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Netflix Animation. Over the course of his career, he has worked on more than twenty film projects, including the Academy Award-winning animated films Frozen, Big Hero 6, Paperman and Feast. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that presents the Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars.
Photos: courtesy of Hrvoje Selec, Director of the VAFI & RAFI Festival.
In well-attended lecture halls in Zagreb and Čakovec, Staub introduced students, teachers and other participants to his creative journey, his experience of working in major animation studios, and the processes involved in creating animated films, visual effects and cinematic storytelling. He also presented Small Talk, an animated series he is currently working on, which explores communication, empathy and understanding between different communities, with a particular focus on the experiences of deaf children, their families and communities. Alongside the series, he also presented an app for learning American Sign Language, available for free download (Windows and iOS).
The lecture opened up a range of topics related to creative work, collaboration within large artistic and technical teams, the role of personal expression in professional production, and contemporary challenges in the animation and audiovisual industries.
The strong response the lecture generated among students was reflected in the many questions raised during the discussion, as well as in the conversations that continued after the official programme had ended, when students waited for the opportunity to ask Mr Staub additional questions and speak with him personally.
This guest appearance represents an important step for the Centre for Audiovisual Arts in developing programmes that connect film art, education, international cooperation and direct encounters between students and distinguished professionals in the field of audiovisual arts.
On this occasion, the Centre for Audiovisual Arts would especially like to thank the organizers of the VAFI & RAFI Festival, in particular Hrvoje Selec, Festival Director, as well as Dubravka Kalinić Lebinec and Srećko Lebinec, for their openness to cooperation and their support in organizing this guest appearance.
Josh Staub’s visit once again confirmed how inspiring encounters with artists and professionals from the film industry can be for students, teachers and the wider academic community.